It’s a battle of the undefeated as the fourth-ranked St. Thomas football team hosts ninth-ranked Bethel Royals in a homecoming match-up Saturday, Oct. 13, at O’Shaughnessy Stadium.

The winner of the game will have sole possession of first place in the MIAC.

The last time St. Thomas (5-0, 3-0) lost at home was to Bethel (5-0, 3-0) in an NCAA quarterfinal game in 2010. Coach Glenn Caruso said he believes that while it is not so much of a motivating factor this year, that loss resonates with his players.

“Those thorns that we dealt with from that defeat two years ago were tremendous motivating factors for us over that last two years,” Caruso said, “and probably will continue to be, but they never take center stage.”

Caruso said the focus for his offense needs to be consistency. He said that while the team has scored on the opening drive for the past five games, there have been stagnant periods where the Tommies play an entire quarter without scoring points.

“We just want to be able to continue to learn what teams are trying to do to us, and combat that,” Caruso said.

Last week, the Tommies turned the ball over six times on both offense and special teams, including a fumble returned for a touchdown. Despite the amount of turnovers, Caruso said he is confident that his team is making necessary adjustments to retain the ball.

“The ball security has to be an ever present conscious effort to make sure we are always taking care of it,” Caruso said.

The St. Thomas defense was strong last Saturday against Gustavus Adolphus College. Junior outside linebacker Tremayne Williams had an interception and a fumble recovery as the defense posted a season-high 12 sacks on the Gusties.

Williams attributed the success to his hard work off the field, as well as making good game-time decisions.

“This year I’ve been watching a lot more film, and also I just really have been taking more advantage of my opportunities,” Williams said.

On Saturday, fans can expect to see rain, as well as a continuation of the colder temperatures. However, the Tommies seem unphased as they continue outdoor practices. Junior kicker Griffin Snyder said the outdoor practices will have the Tommies ready for game day.

“The forecast for the week looks really similar to what we will probably see on Saturday, so I think that will be good preparation,” Snyder said.

The rivalry between the two nationally-ranked teams has become one of recent allure. Last year, the Tommies scored early and managed a 23-13 win over the Royals in Arden Hills, Minn. The game proved to be a battle, as both teams held each other under 350 yards of total offense in a season known for the Tommies’ high-energy offense.

For Williams, playing into the rivalry and homecoming hysteria isn’t his style. Williams said as far as pre-game rituals go, music gets him focused on the task at hand.

“I’ll wait until within an hour of the game to start listening to music and get hyped, so usually before that I’ll just read and relax a little bit,” Williams said.

Alex Goering can be reached at goer8777@stthomas.edu.